sometime ago i heard the integrated version of grandinote , the shinai with some heco direkt. the bass was extremely gripping . in fact with a track from interstellar the sofa was shaking with thunder from them . so the interest was stirred

well these solid state amplifiers are from Italy . this is from hifipigs review of the proemio /silva

"grandinote are based in Italy and headed up by Massimiliano Magri. The company use a technology they call Magnetosolid where solid state components are used in circuits more typical of valve amplifiers. Grandinote say this offers the advantages of both solid state and tube amplifiers. All the low signal stages in the amps are direct coupled without capacitors and every device has its own dedicated power supply. All their amplifiers run in Class A. "

so I have the pre amp [ there is a higher one , heaven knows what that sounds like !!!] which is the proemio which is around 7.5k playing into a msb class A amp . they fit like a glove .

the dislikes first , not too keen on the remote which compared to my rugged bel canto feels slightly unsubstantial . neither does it have theatre bypass which is good to have to integrate into an AV system . however its only 15 kg , built like a tank with beautiful finish and extremely easy to use . you can move swiftly from one input to another with the remote which goes up in increments and easy to control

connecting with a modest reference fidelity rca interconnect with the msb . the first thing I notice is my chair can feel the vibration from the music at pretty low volumes . I might just struggle to use this combo with those lovely Kudos titan 707 methinks !!! however the verity audio Rienzi just rock beautifully with controlled bass that is pretty delightful. the main thing that really strikes you is strings sound like they have been plucked by a gladiator ....they really ping..... . piano has a lovely timbre .

listening to a fantastic electrnic album from otarion called monument , the vocal harmonies are very compelling and cymbals and bells so realistic .

only had the proemio on for 3 nights but it sounds good from the off , highly recommended . I know a number have the integrated version with high sensitivity speakers and enjoy them with grandinote

yes , the problem with the integrated is its heavy and you can play around more easily with pre power . the thought did occur to me to replace both in the future but it takes a great deal to beat the msb

and yes the 707 would defo not suit this amp in my room . in others yes but it has a shed load pf bass and you would have to be careful matching . I guess that's why a number of folks like it with tunes audio . I guess those LV would also be good

What you really mean is that you haven't finished dicking about changing your kit just yet

I'm sure you know but your system and especially your speakers are such that all you're really going to hear is slightly different presentation or emphasis. The only real upgrade in sound for you is going to be a different room I'm afraid.

You'll be seriously mad to replace those speakers of yours because you're curious/ fancy a change. The grass is definitely not greener over there! They work well in your room and do just about everything you could want. I'd be fascinated apart from curious itch what you think another pair of speakers might bring?

this thing reminds me of an Iceland lettuce . extremely crisp sound without any clinical sound sometimes associated with solid state . I am not technically minded like some of you chaps . the way I judge kit is whether it keeps me up at night and this amp does .

it seems to reproduce piano rather well and despite its foibles its got a lovely sound . be rather sad to give it back really . there is a higher model than this one and I wonder what that sounds like

the proemio loves electronic music , the sound effects and bells really ring . rock it does well too , I was listening to Diana krall the other night and it was very enjoyable . tremendous privilege to be able to hear this thing. I have never ever heard anything Italian and I must say its rather impressive

I am curious the thing has no capacitors either , I thought all amps had those !!

In terms of analog circuitry, electronics that are DC–coupled have their components connected directly together without any coupling capacitors. As capacitors tend to remove certain frequencies, coupling the circuitry without capacitors in-line allows the full spectrum of sound frequencies to pass through unfettered. This can be advantageous as many capacitors severely limit the passage of low frequencies, resulting in poor low-frequency response. Manufacturers such as Solid State Logic often use DC-coupled circuitry for this reason. As capacitors wear out over time, many devices will experience a decline in performance. By building equipment without capacitors in the circuit, a manufacturer ensures that will have the same frequency response and essentially sound the same years after its initial purchase. To illustrate this point, we’ll use a SSL DC-coupled XL 9000 K console as an example. Since no capacitors that can fail are in the signal path, channel 1 will sound the same as channel 32 (or any other channel, for that matter) year in and year out. DC-coupled equipment maintains a linear-phase relationship across all channels, further illustrating the advantage of this method of creating circuits. DC-coupled circuitry also tends to be utilized in audiophile and high-end recording equipment, as it tends to provide the “purest” sound.

Capacitors, of course, still play a large role in the construction of electronic equipment. In applications where DC voltage may damage the circuit, capacitors are placed in the signal path as a means of protecting transistors from being burned up by the DC current. Capacitors essentially condition the incoming signal by rejecting unwanted DC voltage. DC voltage is also typically undesirable in audio signals as it can cause distortion later in the signal path.

sadly this remarkable pre amp is going back soon . its been a real pleasure and sad to see it go. for a solid state pre it is very satisfying .

I was at symphony hall last night listening to chopin no 1 , I was rather far up in the gods and actually felt like I wanted to hear it on this pre as it sounds so good with piano , as it does with everything .

recenty got a Marantz sacd sa 8005 s/h and that really has got some bite , more than the cd8x/psxr I would say . very impressive , seeing as they cost a mere 579 pounds . highly recommended sacd player